A Portrait of a Songwriter on a Monday
6 Reminders for Those Who Hate Michigan Winters
I hate winter, but I was reminded of a few perks to the cold weather as I shopped for groceries today. I thought I’d share them.
1. Forgetting a bag of groceries in the car is not tragic. (A car becomes an extra icebox.)
2. Beer can be left outside to chill. (Save room in that fridge!)
3. Less car and home break-ins. (Criminals hate the cold, too.)
4. Christmas lights are pretty. (Downtown Rochester, I’m thinking of you!)
5. Wardrobe of sweatshirts. (Let’s hide those extra pounds we gain, comfortably!)
6. Yard work ends. (Sure, we have to shovel the snow, but at least we can stop mowing the lawn.)
“The Turnpike”
Rain pounded my
windshield,
melted green mountains
against a gray sky,
like Monet’s
brushstrokes across
a framed canvass:
His dangerous landscape.
I was one of two
cars stopped
at an emergency
pull-off.
Our pairs of hazard lights
blinked off-beat
against the rain’s
steady staccato.
That goddamned storm
wouldn’t pass,
it too—
stuck in place.
We fought it out alone
together,
anticipating our next
destination.
November 22, 2013
Today, a creative accident happened.
At my last bar gig, a lady came up and asked me to play “She Talk’s to Angels.” I hesitated because I only had time to play one more song, and I was feeling lazy. (I didn’t want to retune the guitar to DADF#AD*.)
But I ignored my laziness, retuned, the guitar, and closed the gig with the requested song.
This morning, I pulled out the guitar I used for that gig, and it was still tuned in the opening tuning. Unplanned, I strummed for fun in the unfamiliar territory (I don’t use open-tunings often), and found a new chord progression; maybe a new song will arise from it!
I have found that writer’s block isn’t necessary about a writer being out of ideas, but being closed off.
Thank you to the person who requested the Black Crowes’s tune!
* * * *
*Guitarists, I use DADF#AD instead of open E to play “She Talks to Angel” to fit my vocal range. Same chord forms work!
